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Phlox dying
mikes
Posts: 1
I live in a hot climate in N California...days are in the 90's. I have Phlox in the ground in mainly sunny to partial shade. They are getting watered once a day but not overwatered (I don't think) . They are not surviving ....flowers dying and the leaves are discoloring and have what looks like white splotches....see photo...any ideas?
0
Posts
That is a very unhappy plant! Mildew is often a sign of dryness at the roots and your soil looks from the pic as if it could be very free draining.
Like most people on this website I live in the UK, in the Northwest, with a high rainfall. Phlox thrive for me on clayey soil with lots of added manure - they are hungry, thirsty plants. Yours looks both thirsty and malnourished. It probably doesn't much like the high temperatures, but would have a better chance of coping if it was healthier to start with.
Give it a good drink and provide some shade with a screen to give it chance to recover a little, then think about how you can improve conditions for next year. It won't necessarily need full sun in sunny California, mine cope with a rather dull and cloudy English hillside without difficulty, so a part shaded position might help, and really build up that soil, don't rely just on chemical feeds.
They are lovely plants when happy, so good luck. By the way, mine aren't flowering well either this year, they got eaten by a lamb in early summer and have grown back but not managed flowers